NutriScience Innovations LLC announced its acquisition of XSTO Solutions LLC, a value-added supplier of nutraceutical and functional ingredients. The transaction adds six new branded products to NutriScience’s portfolio of ingredients and strengthens the company’s role as a preferred ingredient supplier to leading brands in the wellness, food, and beverage industries, offering innovative ingredient solutions that meet consumer demands across all key health benefit categories, it notes. The new products feature unique benefit areas and include PepZinGI (gut health), K2Quest (bone and cardiovascular health), BenfoPure (blood glucose control), and NiaXtend (cardiovascular and healthy lipid level support), among others. “We are excited to partner with XSTO as we continue to grow NutriScience. We have deep respect for Francis Foley and Daniel Murray and admire the organization and reputation they have built over the last two decades,” said NutriScience CEO Alan Yengoyan, in a statement. “XSTO aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver science-backed, effective nutritional solutions that consumers want. This acquisition not only strengthens our portfolio but also enhances our ability to serve our customers and supply partners in the industry.”

Applied Food Sciences (AFS) announced the launch of PurGinseng, a premium, highly water-soluble 100% Panax ginseng extract poised to simplify food and beverage formulation. Ideal for applications such as beverages, stick packs, and effervescent tablets, PurGinseng offers an innovative solution for brands seeking to enhance their product offerings with adaptogens, it says. PurGinseng is sourced exclusively from 100% non-GMO Panax ginseng root and standardized to contain 8% (plus or minus 3%) ginsenosides, the active compounds responsible for ginseng’s potent health benefits. These ginsenosides have been shown to offer numerous health benefits, including enhanced physical and mental performance, improved stress response, and bolstered immunity, according to the company. Applied Food Sciences also announced that PurGinseng has achieved GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) determination for a Panax ginseng ingredient standardized specifically to ginsenosides. “At Applied Food Sciences, our mission has always been to push our capabilities of innovation in the natural ingredients space,” said Loretta Zapp, CEO of Applied Food Sciences, in a statement. “We recognized the growing demand for adaptogenic ingredients that could deliver real, measurable benefits, especially in the functional food and beverage industries. But we also knew that safety and regulatory approval were critical for any new ingredient to succeed in today’s market. That’s why achieving self-determined GRAS status for PurGinseng was a top priority. It allows brands to confidently integrate this powerful, time-tested adaptogen into their products, knowing that it meets the highest safety standards.”

Quality Smart Solutions has launched GRAS Experts, a new division aimed at tackling ingredient safety concerns and helping businesses stay ahead of regulatory changes and avoiding recalls. “Everyone’s talking about food safety right now, and for good reason,” said Andrew Parshad, president and founder of Quality Smart Solutions, in a statement. “The McDonald’s recall is a stark reminder of what can happen when ingredient or food safety isn’t airtight. GRAS Experts was created to help businesses avoid these exact scenarios by ensuring their ingredients are proven safe and fully compliant with evolving regulations.” As more companies face scrutiny over what goes into their products, the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) process has become a critical standard for ingredient approval. GRAS Experts simplifies this complicated process, providing businesses with expert guidance to secure GRAS status for their ingredients, navigate Health Canada approvals, and meet EFSA Novel Food regulations. Additionally, the Toxic Free Food Act just introduced, complicates the compliance process. The issue being the self-affirmed GRAS pathway (not filing with FDA) gives any novel ingredient supplier the ability to put together a dossier or evidence without a government agency vetting it. The Act proposes to end that and require that novel ingredients mandatorily be filed with FDA. GRAS Experts was designed to successfully navigate this process, it says. With a dedicated team of regulatory specialists, GRAS Experts takes the stress out of compliance, helping food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers prevent costly recalls and protect their reputation.